Loyal to the End
by rebelian7
Summary: Well I finally thought of a new title. I haven't updated this story much, and I'm sorry to all previous readers, and pretty ashamed of myself. I hope I can get myself to update more often. Hinted MCxSamus, will escalate. Old title: Never Give Up Hope
1. Samus's Story

Chapter 1: Samus's Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid or Halo, though I do own all OC's and original content, and I do take credit for the plot.

AN: The only knowledge I have of Metroid is from Super Metroid, so please don't be annoyed with me for missing out on any Metroid canon. Also please take note that I will, more or less, ignore the events that occurred with the X parasite in the Metroid series, for the sake of plot development.

_The Galactic Federation would send me on a recon mission when the Space Pirates are still at large, typical._ Samus thought. She knew it was a lie, though. The Space Pirates would forever be a threat to the galaxy, but after the destruction of Mother Brain, the Metroid species, and the X Parasite, the Space Pirates activity had quieted down. All was quiet, but something in the back of her head told her that something big was going to happen. Samus was the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, with her abilities far surpassing that of any human, and Chozo-based technology backing her up.

Unfortunately, her rise to greatness was a sad one, wrought with horrors that no other person should ever face. At a tender young age, she had been living on the Earth colony K-2L. All was peaceful, her mother being a medicinal expert, and her father being in the space navy. It had been her birthday, that one horrible night. Samus blinked away a tear as she remembered it, every horrifying second of that day. _Happy birthday Samus! Blow out the candles and make a wish! 'Yay!' an innocent Samus laughed as her first attempt to blow out the candles failed. As she tried again, a horrifying screech shook the rafters of their simplistic home, and the cake fell off the table. Tears clung to her face as a giant… space dragon? Space dragon ripped off the roof. Two yellow eyes, pupils barely visible, looked upon them with malice. 'Heheh, the defenses of this planet are pitiful, as are its _inhabitants_.' The dragon, Ridley, as Samus learned later, spat out the last word as if it were a curse.  
'I-I don't know what you want, but we can still be friends, Mister. You can have some cake too,' the small child slowly walked towards the thing. Its eyes narrowed. Ridley's troops behind him were laughing at the sight of a child unafraid of their leader.  
'How dare you insult me with your petty friendship!' he roared. A spear-like tale tensed, and shot forward, at Samus! 'Die!'  
She clung to the table in horror as her mother jumped in the way, taking the blow. She fell to the floor, blood pooling from a gaping puncture wound. Samus's mother's eyes lay open, lifeless, cold. Maniacal laughter rang out as Ridley flew away, along with his-_ "Energy signature located, Miss Samus," the ship's onboard AI, Adam, said.

"Yes, thank you Adam, plot a course immediately," Samus replied, with a sigh.

"Right away, Lady," Adam said curtly, if that were possible for an AI, but then Samus remembered. Looking at some old files, which were supposedly made by humans over 2 thousand years ago, she found something about a 'smart AI'. These supposedly were AI that had a personality, like a human. They had an approximate 7 year life-span before they literally thought themselves to death, reveling in the depths of a human mind. Samus found this idea rather interesting, and gave Adam a personality much like the smart AI, except she found a way to keep Adam from 'dieing'. She remembered the countless hours of tedious work and programming. Adam's personality was based off of her old squad captain, Adam Malkovich, who seemed to be the only man that treated her on an equal level. He had a habit of calling her 'Lady,' and after any order he gave out, he would always ask 'Any objections, Lady?' It was an attempt to gain her trust, and it flattered her.

'_Alright, we're here on a scouting mission, no more. I don't want any firefights, and stay low. Kreatz, Mauk, you two are on the south side. The Lady is with me.' Adam Malkovich said. They were on an unknown planet, investigating rumors of a Space Pirate base being built there. After Kreatz and Mauk left, Adam turned to Samus, and asked, 'Any objections, Lady?'_

_Normally Samus would've replied with either 'Yes sir,' or 'No,' but this time was different. 'Why do you always call me that?' she asked._

'_Call you what, Lady?'_

'_Yes that! Why do you always call me Lady?' Samus felt like a little girl, nagging at her friend or parent for something._

_Adam flashed a rare smile at her, 'Is there any reason not to? You and I both know why I do.' Samus paused for a second, and then nodded. She knew why he called her that. 'Now, I believe we should get started on this mission. Any objections, Lady?'_

"Thinking to yourself Lady? You truly are sad," Unfortunately, the ship AI received too much of Adam's sarcasm and humor.

"Yeah, that coming from the _AI_ that could easily be discontinued, and recycled," Samus replied bitterly. The Galactic Federation had been giving her _recon_ missions of all things; it was completely embarrassing for someone of her standard. Still, it wasn't the only reason for her miscontent. She would rather be hunting Space Pirates than investigating some ancient energy signal. Why did they send her, anyway? The GF had plenty of recon ships, why send their top bounty hunter?

"Ouch, that was harsh Samus. Oh, and you do realize that your only proving my point?" Adam said, his hologram flickering into view, "Not that you'd care, since you are so above anything but a mission that spells certain death, we've reached our destination," he said, smirking. "Personally, I think you should be grateful, not having some impossible suicide mission for once."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Samus said, rolling her eyes. She touched a symbol on her Zero-Suit and her Varia suit formed around her. At first, Samus hated the Zero-Suit. It fit her rather, for lack of a better word, snugly, and men couldn't seem to stop themselves from staring. Eventually she stopped cracking the skulls of these particular men, for Fleet Admiral Castor Dane had to remind her on for than one occasion that the GF needed those men in top shape to defend planets from the Space Pirates. Years of fighting Space Pirates, monsters, parasites, Metroids, and horrors that no person should ever face had hardened Samus into a cold, solitary person, whose last prerogative was to socialize. Few people had ever faced the melancholy, pain, and suffering that she had.

"Lost in your thoughts again, Samus? I really need to find you a friend," said a smirking Adam, arms crossed.

"And who says that I can't make my own friends?" Samus challenged.

"Nobody, miss 'Shoot first, ask never'." Adam replied, arms still crossed.

"Fine, we'll finish this discussion later. For now let me focus on the mission,"

"Oh my, the great Samus Aran is _eager_ for recon duty? The universe has _got_ to be at an end!" sarcasm lined each word of Adam's statement.

"Ah shut up, Adam," Samus muttered under her breath, "you don't know what it's like to be me, nobody does." Samus's _Hunter_ class ship stopped near a small debris field. Floating bits of metal hung, broken ships, and meteorites hung around. A planet, with surprisingly inhabitable conditions, rested in the background, illuminating the eerie scene. A huge asteroid with high metal content floated aimlessly in the field. "I wonder what it was that the GF wanted me to investigate," Samus muttered. There were no visible signs of anything that could possibly give of an energy signature. Just as she was about to call Adam, to get another reading to see if they were in the right area, the huge 'asteroid' turned around, revealing an empty cavity inside it. There were multiple layers that she could see, almost as if it was a ship that was split in half. She could even see what must have been a docking area, mess hall, and… oh. It was a ship.

Samus was extremely grateful that Adam couldn't read minds. If he'd seen that, she would never be able live it down. Though she would never admit it to him, Adam had become a best friend, a kind of older brother to Samus. She came to love him in that regard, much the same way she felt about Amy, her one true childhood friend, at least, the way she did before Ridley and the Space Pirates attacked. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she thought about her old home and life. Samus shook her head and steeled herself. Personal attachments and a conscience were only obstacles to overcome on the battlefield. Samus followed this maxim well, and it practically earned her the reputation of a cold, hard, antisocial bounty hunter. Adam landed the ship inside what would have been the hangar, and Samus jumped out. Landing lightly on her feet, she started walking down the hall. As she walked small clanking sounds echoed through the ship. It was a little ominous, like an old horror film, but Samus had been through worse. This definitely couldn't compare to the tight suspense that had gripped her heart as she faced Phantoon, one of Ridley's higher-ups.

She shivered at the memory of the ghost-like creature that had haunted an abandoned GF ship. He was a near impossible opponent to defeat, with his only weakness being his eye, and even when he did show it he was incredibly difficult to hit. Darkness surrounded her as she advanced down the corridor, only to be dispelled by the feeble light that the Varia suit emitted. Arm cannon at the ready, she walked into a small room. Primitive projectile weapons littered the floor. _Maybe I can sell these at a museum_. Samus thought to herself. As of late, she was a little low on cash. The cost of repairing her Varia suit after her latest fight with Ridley had been monumental, and it also left Samus in the position of having to take on any job she could get. Ridley was extremely hard to kill, and his recent transformation into Meta-Ridley didn't make the deed any easier. No matter how many times she defeats him, something happens before she can deliver the final blow. Sometimes, it really sucked being the only bounty hunter who could survive these missions.

All of these thoughts disappeared, however, as her eyes fell upon an old cryo-pod. The use of these were discontinued, for the most part, as it was not necessary for use anymore, and on more than one occasion they were used for more, exotic purposes by the common people. Wiping away a layer of fog, Samus was more than shocked to find a green exoskeleton lying in the tube. The armor was not unlike Samus's, but primitive all the same. It would sell for quite a bit at a museum, but she would have to dispose of the cryo-pod first. _Perhaps today is my lucky day, _she thought. Looking at the helmet, she saw an orange visor. The menacing air that surrounded this thing was… interesting. It was not like the evil, pure intent to kill, like Ridley's, but rather, more misunderstood, like a dark hero that nobody saw in the same light as the story heroes of old. She had met people many people like this, one of whom was herself. They were not bad people at all, but were cold soldiers. Almost like ghosts. They were so cold in every decision they made on the battlefield, so emotionless, almost like they weren't human. _So this is how people feel when they see me_, she mused. _It's no wonder why I never get any fan mail_. She laughed silently at the joke as she stepped back, to get a better look at the structure. As she backed up, her hand brushed against an old button, which in turn, must've turned on what power was left in the ship, for all of the lights flashed on, which blinded Samus for a moment. A purple hologram, the image of a young woman in her mid 30's, appeared from a data terminal. _An AI_, Samus thought.

The AI turned around to see Samus, and held an expression of mild shock. The purple streams of data that flew across her form turned green, and then red. "Unknown hostile, it's time to wake up, Chief," she said in a scarily human tone. The only other AI that she knew of who had a human personality was Adam. _A smart AI, here?_ She thought at first. Adam was the only smart AI that had been issued out by the GF as far as she knew, but then she realized something much more importand. _Wait… hostile? Chief? _Samus looked back at the cryo-tube, and then to the AI.

"No! You've got the wrong idea, I'm not a hostile!" Samus shouted. Mind racing, she tried to think of ways to negotiate while at the same time, tried to figure out which suit functions and weapons would be most effective, should there be a fight. The AI was about to reply when the cryotube opened. Mist poured out of the pod as it opened. The green exoskeleton rose, and looked around cooly, checking its surroundings. It seemed to be checking its armor and body functions. Before Samus could do anything, it pulled out a small firearm, and cocked it at Samus.

"So," the thing spoke. Its voice was robotic, inhuman. "What did I miss?"


	2. Introductions and Stories

AN: Still don't own Metroid or Halo . Still don't know anything about Metroid .

Chapter 2: Introductions and Stories

"_I've already set up a search beacon, but it will takes months, maybe even years for the UNSC to find us," Cortana said as Chief, John-117, climbed into his cryo-pod.. John took one last look at Cortana, the AI that had been with him through thick-and-thin, seen every horror that he had, and had become something of a best friend, a younger sister, to him. _

_ "Wake me, when you need me," he stated, stoic as ever. Cortana had managed to open a small emotional gear in his brain, but years of training washed it away. Cortana sighed as she shut herself off, conserving the energy that she would need to stay operational if and when John awakened. _

Hissing noises escaped from the sealed pod as the Master Chief stood up. He flexed his fingers and joints, testing his mobility. _Mobility at roughly 70%, _John made a small mental checklist in his mind, _HUD visor fully operational, shielding at 100%, ammunition… check. _Chief loaded his M6D pistol for a second while checking his surroundings. The last of Cortana's words still echoed, "Unknown hostile, it's time to wake up, Chief."

Another voice, not unlike that of a Spartan's also rang out, "No! You've got the wrong idea, I'm not a hostile!" she said, or at least he assumed that it was a she. She, he, it was wearing a bright orange and red armor. It resembled the MJOLNOR armor slightly. Chief flinched as he loaded his pistol. He would trust Cortana with his life any day, but attacking something without provocation was just wrong. True, he had killed hundreds of thousands of Covenant, but it was them who threw the first punch. Something, someone, so humanoid was a different story. Going through his options, he casually pointed his pistol at it.

"So, what did I miss?" he coolly asked. He took the time to observe the thing more carefully. It had armor plating, and a helmet not unlike his. Two oversized shoulder guards were located adjacent to the helmet. They were probably small battery packs for shields. A cannon, which most likely had multiple modes of fire, replaced its right forearm. Chief had no idea how far ahead in time he was, so it would be foolish to assume that the thing was anything but at the level of a Spartan, both in terms of skill and technology. As skilled as he was, MC would not let his pride or ego get in the way of a combat situation, like Fred did on more than one occasion. "I'm going to ask again, what's did I miss?" he took a few steps forward.

Cortana sighed, arms crossed. It reminded him of the time he almost activated Halo because 343-Guilty Spark told him to. The thing raised its hands… hand as a sign that it meant no harm. "Hey, I'm not your enemy," it said, "In fact; I have absolutely no idea who you are. My name is Samus, Samus Aran. Now, who are you?"

MC was unsure about whom he should trust, but he decided to take his chances with, Samus? "My name is Petty Officer Master Chief Spartan-117, but I'm sure that my rank doesn't apply in this time anymore."

"So, do you have a name?" Samus inquired.

"Yes, but I'm not going to tell you it yet."

"Well, I thought that a fair exchange would've been in order, but apparently not. Anyway, mind explaining to me what a _Spartan_ is?"

"Well let's see, we're genetically altered super-soldiers who were abducted by the government at the age of 6,"

"_Chief!_ Are you really just going to let this, this, _thing_ know about everything?" Cortana was not happy.

"Well, I can only assume that we are in a future time, how far? I don't know. Either way, now that the Halo's have been destroyed and the war is over, I don't see the harm in telling someone who obviously has no affiliation to the UNSC about the

Spartan-II program."

Samus had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. "The UNSC? The war? What are you guys talking about?"

MC sighed, "This might take a while." The next 3 hours or so were spent telling Samus about everything. His story started from the telling of his being abducted by the government, the other Spartans, his training and augmentations, then to the Covenant, and lastly, the Halo's. He paused at the retelling of Sgt. Avery Johnson and the Arbiter, they were his comrade-in-arms, but they became more than that, they were friends, even brothers to him. They were as close to him as could be without being a fellow Spartan. Samus seemed very interested in the Covenant and the other Spartans, but what seemed to intrigue her most was the Halo's and Forerunners. She was about to ask a question, but was interrupted as another hologram came into view next to Cortana.

"You've been gone awhile Samus. Making friends?" he said, waving his hand at MC and Cortana. The hologram was that of a handsome man. Perhaps in his mid-thirties, like Cortana. _A smart AI?_ John thought,_ just what time period is it? They only have a seven-year lifespan and… Cortana!_

"And just who are you?" Cortana asked, once again, with her arms folded across her chest. Her facial expression was one of nothing less than pure irritation.

"That's Adam, my onboard ship AI. I gave him a personality, much like a smart AI. I've managed to elongate the seven-year lifespan by-

"Wait, did you say you can elongate the lifespan?" Chief inquired.

"Well, uh, yeah. Why?"

"Because, Cortana is a smart AI as you must have figured. Last time I checked, she was 5 years old. I have absolutely no idea what year it is, so I'm a bit worried that Cortana is going to 'die'."

Samus did not like this situation. Cortana probably held valuable information about the past and this 'UNSC' that supposedly existed. While it was wrong, Samus was a little desperate. These people were a goldmine that she would not let go.

"Don't worry about that, Chief." Cortana smiled, like how she usually did when she did something clever, "I shut off all of my systems after I set the beacon. I have at least two years before I 'die'. I also set a small calendar to show us how many years passed before you got awakened. Even so, I expected the UNSC to pick us up, not Miss Samus over there."

"Hey, that's what I call her too!" Adam said, nonchalant as ever.

_So that's why she was surprised at my arrival._ "Not that I think anyone would care, but I'd rather not be making acquaintance in half of a ship. You're more than welcome to stay in mine, but the living quarters are… less than exquisite."

Chief caught the gist, "Alright, just give me a second." Cortana 'jumped' into a data crystal as he stored it in his helmet.

"Uh, Chief? When was the last time you took a shower?" Cortana asked, her voice echoing through the room. Had Chief had the chance to grow up as a normal child, he would've been completely embarrassed at this statement. Adam had to stifle a laugh as Samus blushed a little under her helmet.

Unfortunately, Chief didn't get the hint. "Well, our adventures on Halo led to my having no time to rest. So, the last time I had a shower was after the 1st Halo, before the award ceremony."

"Well," Cortana started, "my calendar says that you've been asleep for over 2000 years. Also, it smells pretty bad in your suit."

Adam was fighting pretty hard to stop from laughing out loud. He was chock-full of personality and humor, even for a smart AI. Chief finally took the hint, "Uh Samus? Is it alright if I use your shower?" he asked embarrassed. Cortana was curious. _Chief, embarrassed?_ She thought. _The only time he was ever embarrassed was when Sgt. Johnson bested him in the shooting range! In fact, he's never been so open to anybody, especially after only knowing them for a few hours. What's with this girl?_

_This guy is incredible_. Samus thought, _First he aims a gun at me, then we make amends and he tells me all about events that I never knew existed, and then he asks me about a shower?_ Little did Samus know herself that she was attracted to the Chief. She didn't see it, Cortana didn't see it, Chief didn't see it, but Adam did. He'd heard of love at first sight, but that definitely wasn't the case here. Samus felt attached to Chief because they were cut from the same mold, they could understand each other. Losing your childhood, hardened by years of fighting and isolation, they both knew what it was like. Two hardened soldiers who can't find solace with anyone else, can find solace in each other. Adam felt a kind of brother-sister relationship between him and Samus, and he felt that he should support her as much as he could in this situation. And besides, this would give him a lot more material to make fun of Samus. A win-win situation, who could refuse?

AN: Wow this was a fast update. I'm off winter break so don't expect any other speedy posts :P. My usual style of writing would be very descriptive, but I tried to focus on MC's and Samus's interaction here. Thus the extra dialogue. I feel like I'm rushing things too much, and that the story will be all the shorter for it. I'm freaking out a bit, first ever published writing o.O This is really going to kind of be the set standard for the rest of my writings, so I hope it'll turn out okay. Reviews are always welcome, especially and critique you guys have to offer. Unnecessary flames will be ignored, but I don't know how to block people, only been a member for a few days.


	3. So She's Human, After All

AN: Just want to give a shout out to Perfect Soldier01, your advice really put me at ease! As for Samus being way too open, I realized that you're right. Unfortunately, whenever I write a story, the characters are way too OC, but that's just who I am. Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter 3: So She's Human, After All

Silence reigned in the UNSC ship. MC was gathering what was left of the armory before entering Samus's ship. Based on what Cortana said about the current date, Chief had no doubt that the current weapons were far more advanced than his projectile ones. Still, he still held a pride and connection to his weapons, like how none of the Spartans would accept using Covenant weapons unless they had to. It was also half of the reason why Chief always kept his MA5B assault rifle. Thoughts ran through his mind as Samus did a system check on her ship. When the Elites and Marines joined together, Arbiter and Johnson traded weapons, and spent time getting acquainted, trying to dispel complaints from their crew about working with 'those monsters' or 'pathetic humans'. The result of this was Covenant weapons and fighters being held in this ship.

"Can you trust her?" Cortana asked, breaking the silence.

"Honestly, I don't know," Chief said, sighing.

"Not that I care, but you seem… different. Especially towards that girl, if she really is one, you've been very open. It took you moths and under excruciating circumstances to have been able to even hold up a conversation with me, Johnson, or the Arbiter. Yet here, you've opened up to Samus in a matter of hours. What's up?" Cortana asked. She never openly admitted it, but she cared for Chief. She felt protective of him, and was suspicious of Samus's sudden hospitality.

"I guess I've just lost hope. That old soldier instinct in me, it told me to keep on fighting, always find a way to win. Years of training taught me that Spartan's can't lose. Johnson was more lenient, but he gave me the same message in his words. 'Winning ain't everything Chief, but make sure you kick some ass and show those Covies what us Marines are made of!' These words, this instinct, is what kept me going. It's what made me able to win against Truth and the Flood. In this time, things are probably completely different. I just don't know what I'll do," Chief sighed again, cradling his helmet with one hand. His mom was full of wisdom, but one saying of his father's is what he remembered most, 'Nothing in life is free son. Work for what you have. If anyone in life is too nice, assume they want something in return.'

"I don't know about you, but I don't trust Samus. She seems too nice, I'm sure she'll expect us to do something for her when we get to, wherever."

Chief nearly flinched. Cortana nearly said what his father told him word for word. "You're probably right. It's not like we have much of a choice, though. We don't have anywhere to go, and my services as a soldier are null and void. There's just not much we can do besides hope for the best. It's not like me, but this is the only option I can come up with."

Cortana was surprised. This wasn't the Chief she knew. The old Chief was a cold-blooded killer who would do anything to achieve his goal. He was a two-ton super soldier who single-handedly led the United Nations Space Command to victory against the Covenant, and saved humanity. And underneath it all, he was a kind person who never left a man behind, and had an undying loyalty to his friends and comrades.

Chief knew that this wasn't like him at all. This entire experience was overwhelming, and it sobered him. His usual soldier act and composure were completely blown away, but he knew he'd settle back into his rhythm soon enough.

"I know this is going to hurt your pride, but you better take some Covenant weapons as well. It'll do you good to keep up with today's standards. Covenant technology may not be as advanced, but it's our best chance," Cortana suggested.

"But-

"That's an order, Chief," Cortana asserted sternly.

"Yes, sir!" Chief stood to attention, light sarcasm coloring his voice. Adam must've gotten through to him. As Chief collected yet more weapons, he thought of Samus's story.

Parents and home brutally killed and destroyed, trained as a killing weapon, given the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders. He realized how similar their stories were, and how alike their person was. The 'I work alone' theme described their attitudes pretty well, too, though Chief could work with a team if he had to.

Chief fingered each weapon he picked up, remembering there use, and how he used them through the war.

The plasma pistol and rifle were both useful for knocking down shields. An overcharged plasma pistol shot would completely overwhelm an opponent's shields, while repeated shots from both the pistol and rifle would stun the opponent for short periods of time. The needler was a very weak weapon. Its rounds were slightly heat seeking and could bounce off certain surfaces. The needles exploded a few seconds after impact, causing more damage. The beam rifle was a worthy rival of the sniper rifle. The covenant carbine was similar to the UNSC battle rifle. Its rounds caused a little less damage, and were not commonly used by either side.

The energy sword he looked at for a little longer. It was a deadly and sacred weapon. It was used for ritual purposes as well as combat, and was sacred among the Elites. The gravity hammer was used by the Brutes; it caused much damage and was a close second towards the energy sword. It, however, lacked the speed and grace of the energy sword. Chief ignited it for a second, and then turned it off. He clipped it to his belt, along with four plasma grenades. Taking a compact storage backpack, made from strong titanium rather than fabric, he stored two plasma rifles, overshield units, camouflage units, and two Brute Chieftain invincibility units. He also carried several battery packs, to replace used ones, and started walking towards the hanger.

"You like him," Adam said, it wasn't a question.

"Who are you talking about?" Samus asked. She knew who, but the question caught her off guard.

"You know very well who I'm talking about, Lady."

"It is far too early to assume such a thing about this person. I know nothing more about him than that of his travels," she said coldly.

"Well, based on his travels, which you so claim that are of no importance, you two are cut from the same mold. You two are peas in a pod, and the only such persons in the universe that I know of. The fact that he was so open to you must mean something as well, right?"

"It's far too early to assume that, Adam, and he was only open because he felt overwhelmed at the current happenings. I have been too open as well, but I don't know why," Samus sighed as she touched a symbol on her left breast. Her Varia suit disappeared in a shimmer of yellow light, and her true form was revealed. Soft blond hair caressed a sharp, yet beautiful face. It was done in a ponytail, which still managed to reach down to her waist. She had short two long bangs on either side of her face. Her skin was slightly pale from underexposure to the sun, but it was still a healthy tone.

"I'd say not, but you've returned to your original composure it seems. There's no arguing with _this_ Samus, now is there?" Adam teased.

Samus brushed it aside, "Is the Chief done yet?" she asked, referring to his shower.

"I'm not the kind of person to peek, but no. He's not done. I'm sure that _you_ would like to know, though, Miss Samus," Adam teased yet again.

Samus sighed, "You know very well why I'm asking. Did you get the scans on his armor and biosignature?"

"Well, yes. As a matter of fact, I did. His armor is of an obsolete quality, though similar to your Varia suit in more than one way. Something interesting I picked up was that the shields would recharge of their own accord, no need for a battery pack," Adam stated.

Samus looked up at this. Her armor was the most advanced out of all the bounty hunters and soldiers. One annoying flaw with all armor, though, was that their shields relied on battery packs for power. Should the power run out, the batteries either had to be replaced or recharged. The Chief's shields could offer Samus something that nobody else had. An ace in the hole that would indeed be useful in any situation.

"He is also very heavily augmented," Adam continued, "Carbon reinforced bone structure, accelerated healing rate, neural implants, the whole package."

Samus was surprised. Such heavy augmentations should've killed any person. She herself probably couldn't survive without her current 'enhancements', being shared DNA between Metroids and the Chozo. An involuntary memory crossed Samus's mind at the reminder of her only family, aside those who suffered on K-2L.

"_Hatchling, are you ok?"a strange bird-like humanoid asked. _(AN: Again, I know next to nothing about Metroid, including the names of planets, so I don't know the name of the planet the Chozo are from)

_A young teary-eyed Samus looked up, and shrieked, "P-please don't eat me! I j-just want to see my mommy and daddy again!" more tears streamed down her face. Two strong arms grasped her warmly. Samus looked over her shoulder in shock, to find that the thing was hugging her._

"_Don't cry, hatchling. it'll be okay. Your beloved are in a better place now, away from the battle and war of this universe," the thing comfortingly said._

"_At least I know they are okay," Samus sat on the ground. "Today is my birthday and my mommy told me to make a wish," she said, crying into the chest of the bird-man._

"_Oh? And what would that wish be, little one?"_

"_I want to see my mommy and daddy to come back, I want to have a family again!" Samus cried, trying to forget the fact that everything she held dear was dead._

_The bird-man looked upon the child with sad eyes, feeling the need to protect her from the dangers of the world. "Would you like to come with me? Live with me and my family on my world?" he asked._

_Samus giggled a little, her father used to play a game with her before he got enlisted. He would pretend to be a prince who would take her to his kingdom and they live happily ever after. "I would, but…" Samus paused._

"_But what, hatchling?" the bird-man asked._

"_But I don't know your name!" Samus said, with a small half-smile._

_The bird-man chuckled, "My name is R'Aktutho, I am a Chozo."_

It was a bittersweet irony that the family she found with the Chozo would be killed off. A marine once cracked a joke, calling it the 'Curse of Aran', in which anything and anyone you held close would die. That marine had been hospitalized for the following 6 months.

"Thinking to yourself again, Miss Samus?" Adam prodded, trying to find out what Samus was thinking about.

"Shut up, Adam." Samus replied coldy, "Tell me the ETA for when we arrive on the Spirit of Fire." (AN: Is that the right name? I really don't know)

Adam instantly knew what she was thinking about. "ETA 10 minutes, Samus."

She walked out of the room swiftly, clipping the Chief on his shoulder as he walked in. The Chief didn't comment on this as he proceeded to walk toward Adam. "What's our destination?" he asked in perfect monotone.

"One hell of a trip down memory lane," Adam replied, deep in thought.


	4. One Hell of a Trip Down Memory Lane

Disclaimer: I take no credit for most of the characters (with a crazy writer like me, I'm bound to throw in some plot twists and OC's. Don't hate me for it, if you don't like what's probably going to happen later, review and say so) and scenes. They belong to all respective owners, though I do take credit for the plot. Also, I just realized that Spirit of Fire was the main ship in Halo Wars, but I'm going to use it anyway as a Galactic Fed. Ship, because I still don't know anything about Metroid. If you guys have any helpful facts, feel free to tell me.

Chapter 4: One Hell of A Trip Down Memory Lane

All was quiet in Samus Aran's _Hunter_ class ship. Cortana and Adam were off somewhere, comparing their technologies and what advances had been made from Chief's time. Knowing Cortana, she would probably end up challenging Adam to some test of intelligence. Seeing as Cortana was programmed off of the personality of Dr. Catherine Halsey, the director of the Spartan II program, Chief wondered at what Dr. Halsey might have been under different circumstances, without the Human-Covenant war. The Chief had finally regained his composure. Though there was no ranking officer present, he stood to attention from habit. Shortly after his shower, the Chief wasted no time in repairing and polishing his armor. _When you're a soldier, you aren't only professional; you have to look it as well_. Franklin Mendez had said on more than one occasion. Mendez was the drill instructor of the Spartan's, an old war dog that never sat still. He and Sgt. Johnson would've hit off great, had they the chance to converse and make nice. Mendez had disappeared along with the remaining Spartans and Dr. Halsey in some unknown event. All Chief knew was that it was in a mission that involved a planet named Onyx.

He shook off these memories as he thought about the difference in quality between his MJOLNOR VI armor and her Varia suit. 343-Guilty Spark had once told him on Installation 04, a Halo ring, that his armor was a class 2 combat skin. Apparently, Samus's was a class 6. Adam reassured him that her suit was one of a kind, and not many other power suits even came close to hers, but Chief made note of it all the same. He guessed that the standard issue must be around a class 4, to make a rough estimate. All of the suits were of great quality, and the weapons far outclassed the ones that he possessed, though the Covenant weapons came close, there was one fatal flaw. All of the other suits ran on a power source while his simply recharged itself. To be quaint, he would simply have to outlast his opponents here to beat them. Of course there were many other factors that he would have to take note of, but the Chief was confident in his abilities as a soldier. Even so, the question of his shields brought another question to mind, could Samus be trusted?

He had dispelled Cortana's suspicions at first, but the more thought he gave to the idea, the more plausible it seemed. Samus was a bounty hunter, was she not? From past experiences, Chief didn't feel so comfortable traveling with her. Seeds of doubt were being planted in his mind, and he didn't like the feeling. Chief used to always be in control of the situation, used to always be more than just a pawn, but now things were different. There were no sure allies in this universe as of yet, and almost nobody to trust.

"Is something wrong?" Cortana's smooth voice cut through Chief's train of thought. It was funny, in a way, that her voice could sound more human than his, even though the actual roles were vice versa.

"No," Chief's voice was as robotic as ever, and in perfect monotone, "nothing at all."

The _Spirit of Fire_ loomed into view as Samus set up a coml.-link with the fleet admiral. Incredibly enough, humans had kept the conventional design of space ships back from the Chief's time, though they were slimmer, and more elegant than destroyers like the _Pillar of Autumn._ "This is Samus Aran to fleet admiral Castor Dane requesting clearance for docking, do you read me?"

"Yes Samus, this is Castor Dane. You are clear to dock in bay 511T-9, report to the bridge immediately."

"Copy, Samus out." The Chief nearly flinched at hearing the fleet admiral's voice. It was too much like that of Captain Keyes, before he was infected by the flood. "Is something wrong?" Samus's cold voice broke the silence.

"Nothing," the Chief replied, "nothing at all."

Samus and Chief walked to the trans-section of the ship, hoping to catch a quick ride to the mess hall, which was much closer to the bridge than they were now. They attracted a lot of attention from the onboard crew, but that was not surprising. It's not everyday you see the galaxy's most renowned bounty hunter _with_ another person. Samus was known to work alone, ever since the day Adam died. As they waited, Chief took the time to evaluate the soldiers onboard the _Spirit of Fire_. The weapons and shield systems looked similar to Samus's, though they were obviously of lower quality. Overall, their armor didn't impress the Chief much at first glance, though he reserved judgment for the battlefield. _Their armor is way too shiny_, he thought.

"Their armor is way too shiny," Samus said, echoing the Chief's thought. "It's like putting up a 'Shoot Me' sign on their heads," as much as the Chief agreed, he noted that Samus had a similar problem.

Apparently, so did Cortana. "As is your armor, Samus. Shiny red and orange armor plates aren't exactly good for a stealth mission, now are they?" Cortana was always the sassier of the two. The Chief could come up with a few choice comments when he felt the need, but the Spartans valued self-control above all else. Unfortunately, AI's had no such restrictions.

"Excuse me?" Samus was not used to being criticized.

"I just thought that it was ironic that you were criticizing your fellow soldiers for having shiny armor, when you have the same dilemma," Cortana taunted.

_Oh great,_ Samus thought, _another Adam_. "It's not like a glowing purple person helps with stealth missions either." Samus knew that this was an empty threat. AI never had to reveal themselves in battle when they were stored as Cortana was.

Cortana wagged a finger at Samus, "That's would be a good point, if I ever had to constantly reveal myself in battle." A few soldiers started chuckling. Samus getting insulted, and actually losing that fight, was a rare sight to see. Even the Chief smiled a little bit, as unprofessional as this was. Fortunately for Samus, the tram arrived before any of the soldiers got brave enough to make a comment.

Samus glared out the view port while Chief checked his equipment. Curiosity overcoming her previous outrage, Samus gazed at his weaponry. He appeared to have two smooth handguns, which were, alien when compared in design to the first weapon she had seen him wield.

"Chief!" Cortana's sharp voice bounced off of the walls. Samus flinched at the sudden change in volume.

"What?" the Chief abruptly stood up, holding the guns in each hand, though he did not take aim at anything.

_Combat reflex_, Samus thought, _not bad_.

"Oh nothing, it's just that you didn't bring your MA5B assault rifle, don't you always bring that everywhere?"

"Yeah, but you kind of suggested _only_ Covenant weapons, and I thought the conventional weaponry of the UNSC wouldn't do against technology in this time." Despite him saying this, the Chief missed the feel an MA5B clipped to his back. It was his trademark weapon. (AN: moment of randomness here) A marine even went so far as to make a poster of the Chief strangling an elite and pointing his assault rifle at the viewer. On the bottom it said, 'Join the Fight'. (Uncle Sam reference) Unfortunately, the idea got so popular people started using these posters to recruit more marines for the UNSC.

Samus once again felt curious about this 'Covenant' and the Chief's mysterious past. "What kind of weapons are you using?"

Chief sat back down, "These are standard issue Covenant plasma rifles. Most Covenant weapons are plasma based, and crude attempts at recreating the technology of the Forerunner, an advanced race that we know nothing about."

"Plasma, all of our weapons are energy based, which eliminates the need for clips or ammunition." Samus gazed at the rod clipped to the Chief's hip. "What's that?" she asked, indicating the rod.

"This is an energy sword. If we get the opportunity later, I'll tell you more about the Covenant and why they attacked us humans." Chief ignited the sword. "A blade of pure energy. It can cut through almost anything, and is as sacred as it is deadly to the elites."

Samus gazed in awe at the blade. It shone a light blue, and hummed with energy. _This stuff must be worth a fortune_. Samus started calculating how much she could sell these weapons off, and which of his equipment she would keep, but she quickly shook these thoughts off. A soldier of his alleged caliber would be useful in the fight against the Space Pirates, and it was beneath Samus to resort to petty theft. One thing bothered her, though. "Why are you trusting me with all of this information?"

The Chief sighed, and put away his arsenal. "Because I need to tell someone," he said. "Based on your responses, it's obvious enough that there are no longer any factions of the UNSC still operating anywhere, and what I've gone through, what all of the Spartan's have gone through, our training, kidnapping, suicide missions, has always been kept secret. We were lauded as heroes by the marines we fought with, and still many more hated us for insignificant reasons. Nobody understood what we went through, and nobody understood that we were human too."

Samus was shocked to hear this, but she was also a little bit angry. Samus had been through the same thing, and yet here he was wanting pity? Then again, she was known as the cold emotionless bounty hunter because that's what she wanted. She had accepted all of the augmentations, training, and missions she'd been given. None of the Spartan II's had been given a choice, none of the Spartan's could ever have a normal life.

"We didn't care, though." Chief continued. "There was only one thing that mattered to us, and that was the survival of the human race. People said a lot of things about us, and we were as feared as we were respected, by both the Covenant and humans. Still, Spartans only follow three things. One, we never leave a man behind. Two, we never fail a mission. Three, Spartan's never give up, not the mission, not on our friends, and never do we give up hope."


	5. Just a Feeling

Disclaimer: I do not own Metroid or Halo, or anything related, though I do take credit for OC's and plot.

AN: I have absolutely no idea of what the MC looks like, so my description is how I picture him. I'm sorry for the really late update, but I've been busy with a lot of crap, planning my chapters, fixing some of the Metroid stuff I messed up on, my Mom is buying me SAT workbooks for the summer (wtf?) but I'm not changing too much, just a few things here and there. I've also been playing ff7 :P (appreciate the classics) so may or may not see the influences on my OC's and so forth. Please enjoy and offer me any critique you may have.

Chapter 5: Just a Feeling

Samus and Chief walked down the corridor leading to the bridge. The sounds of their footsteps echoed, and Cortana kept quiet, for the most part. Thanks to newer technology, it was possible for the bridge of a ship to be located within the middle of it, no longer providing an open target. The Chief took in his surroundings, noting all rooms and security measures that he could see. There were no cameras, but the small blinking lights on the walls told the Chief that the _Spirit of Fire_ was far from unequipped. After a time, Samus finally stopped in front of a door. It opened automatically, but Chief did not move.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Samus gestured towards the room. "These will be your quarters for the time being, until the Admiral decides what's to be done with you." Her tone was not threatening or hostile, but it was not friendly either.

Chief nodded in recognition and entered the room. The door shut behind him, and lights flashed on, illuminating the simple room. It was nothing special. Metal walls and floor, one bunk, a small desk, and a small latrine. _Home sweet home_, the Chief thought. Piece by piece, the Chief took off his armor and set it down in a corner. He immediately pulled up a chair and pulled out a rag from the bathroom. He eyed his armor critically, and began to polish it. Years of battle, grime, and blood would inevitably wear down and rust any and all equipment, and any soldier worth his salt would keep his equipment in prime condition. Running into battle with a rusted gun was asking for a bullet to the face. He polished his armor in a practiced, almost mechanical motion. Like a machine, the Chief rubbed at his armor, wiping away every last piece until it nearly shone. Chief eyed his work one last time and, satisfied, walked to the bathroom. It was simple, and comfortably familiar. One shower, a sink, a mirror, and a toilet. On the sink was what the Chief was looking for, a razor. When fighting a war, and single-handedly saving the human race countless times left a man no time to himself. Chief quickly checked his reflection. For the first time ever, the Chief checked his own appearance. His brown hair was still kept at military length, and his left eye still had that one scar over it from a training exercise. His lips were drawn into a thin, permanent frown. His eyes, a beautiful chocolate brown, had many bags under them. His skin was paper white from the lack of sun. Overall, anybody could agree on how he looked. Ruggedly handsome perhaps, but the haunted look about him ruined the image. Quickly shaving his face, the Chief slowly walked back to the bunk, and lay down. It was only then, at that moment, that he truly realized how tired he was. Years of exhaust and fatigue put aside by medical stimulants, implants, and by his sheer will finally caught up to the Chief, and sleep quickly overtook him.

The Chief woke up to the sound of voices talking softly outside the door. Though he could not hear every word they said, he knew the topic of interest was him, and the information he held of the past. He did not know whether he should trust this 'Galactic Federation' or not, but they were his only connection at the moment. He knew nothing of galactic affairs, military at this time, alliances, or anything of the sort. All he knew was that he was at the mercy of these men, and that his fate would rely on the whim of the fleet admiral. It was an unusual feeling, having no control over his fate. Ironically, this was how the Chief should've felt every day during his life. All he ever was a tool in the military. A tool to be used by the higher ups. A tool to be discarded once everything was done. The woman who led the SPARTAN II program, Dr. Catherine Halsey, led the experiment hoping to come up with a miracle solution to end the war. All the horrors that the SPARTAN's endured were all related to the kind doctor. She became something of the mother that the SPARTAN's never had. She consoled herself with the idea that it was all for the benefit of humanity, and she toyed with the idea of being a mother of the SPARTAN's as well, though she retained a level of professionalism. The number of SPARTAN's slowly dwindled away over the years, until only the Chief was left. Almost all of the SPARTAN's were KIA. To uphold the image of an undying warrior, all KIA SPARTAN's were marked MIA. Sadly, of the thirty three SPARTAN's, only three were ever truly MIA. The three were some of Chief's closest friends, but their location was unknown, and there was no way that they could've survived this long. Memories of his closest comrades flashed by, their faces circling his head. He could almost hear their voices. Linda, Frederic, Kelly.

Slowly, the Chief got up and walked towards the bathroom. He washed his face and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but did no more to freshen up. He walked back towards where he placed his armor, and began to put it back on, piece by piece. Soon the Chief once again resembled a towering hulk of armor, an unstoppable war machine. The talking outside the door stopped, and the Chief heard footsteps slowly fading away.

"Chief," Cortana's voice echoed within his helmet. Despite all the years spent fighting the Covenant with Cortana, it was still hard to essentially share a mind with another being.

"Yeah?" Chief was inspecting his weapons again, making sure they were all functioning. An old man's habit, as some might say.

"You're supposed to meet the Fleet Admiral and Samus at the bridge by 1900, 7:00," she said.

"How did you know that?" Chief asked. Did Cortana already acquaint herself with those onboard the _Spirit of Fire_?

"Chief, it's 6:30," she replied, ignoring his previous query. For the first time in over 30 years, Chief cursed under his breath. All SPARTAN's kept perfect composure no matter what the situation, but anyone, even genetically altered super soldiers, would have to express some human emotion. Rage, fear, sadness, but the implants in their brains suppressed these feelings. Still, though, back in training being tardy held some _very_ negative repercussions, and such acts of laziness were treated harshly. Very harshly.

Two people stood before a giant screen. On it lay the purple, forever swirling storms that made up slipspace. Samus had arrived not five minutes ago, but neither she nor the Fleet Admiral, Castor Dane, made any attempt to make conversation. The Fleet Admiral was old, but still had a very muscular build. White, wispy hair fell naturally over his head. His nose was slightly misplaced, having been broken several times, but he had telltale laugh lines around his eyes, showing that he smiled often. Despite his intimidating appearance, Castor Dane could be very friendly and sociable to those he considered allies and friends. As was expected by both Samus and Dane, he spoke up first. "So, how did your recon mission go?"

_Didn't Adam already inform him of our findings? _"Uneventful, for the most part," Samus stood stock still as the old Fleet Admiral nodded.

"It seems our guest is going to be late," he calmly noted, literally staring out into space.

"Guest?" Samus asked, though they both knew who he was referring to.

"Yes, though I am surprised that your ship's AI didn't report your findings to me beforehand." Silence again. So Adam didn't report anything to him. What could he have been doing?

"I see. How did you find out about him if Adam never told you of our findings?" Samus was curious, though the answer was quite obvious. Another one-of-a-kind suit of armor following a renowned bounty hunter like Samus does not go unnoticed.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that. In either case, it seems our guest is late," Castor Dane noted, almost too nonchalantly. As if his words had a magical effect, the Chief walked to the bridge, smartly saluting the fleet admiral on sight. Castor Dane nodded in recognition of the green soldier before addressing him. "Ah, so our guest has finally arrived. Before we do anything, may I ask you your name?" Both he and Samus looked expectantly at the Chief.

Chief relented under the combined stares of both the admiral and the bounty hunter, "A few thousand years ago, I was a Master Chief Petty Officer 1st Class, but in the end I was just called 'Chief'. If it's all the same, I'd rather keep it that way." But of course his answer was no different than when he first met Samus.

Castor Dane nodded, understanding Chief's situation. When one was bred for war, names held little to no importance. All that mattered was coming back alive to fight another day. "Anyway, let's get down to business. Samus here claims that you were a war hero in your time, and kept in stasis for over two millennia, am I right so far?"

"Yes," came a blunt reply.

"We currently know no more than what I've said, so I'd appreciate it if you could tell us of your past, if only to better our knowledge of this 'Human-Covenant War.'"

"Alright, but I must warn you now, I'm not one for war stories," that was just an understatement of how well the SPARTAN could summarize events, "Basically the human race made contact with the Covenant, a group of different aliens following a religious idol, the Prophets, who would lead them to 'glorious salvation' on the 'great journey', while expanding our outer territories. The Prophets deemed us impure beings, unworthy of following them on their pilgrimage, and thus the war began. The humans became desperate, and began looking into miracle programs. One of which is the SPARTAN program, which augmented several candidates and equipped them with advanced armor to combat the Covenant. We managed to win eventually, though, by…"

"Chief, I think you're being a little too blunt with the details," Cortana popped in out of nowhere, 'standing' atop one of the data terminals. "I'll take it from here," the Chief nodded to her, and she began to tell the admiral and Samus about the HALO rings, the Ark, and about the Covenant itself. Interestingly, the fleet admiral knew nothing of the war either. The finding of Delta Halo should've been a historical landmark on its own, much less the war itself, and yet it was not recorded or remembered over the years? The UNSC had left the information to be open to the public, seeing no reason to keep it all confidential after any threat of another war like that was gone, and yet nobody could record and pass it on? It almost angered Chief, playing the silent hero again, not being remembered for everything that he had done, but the thought was merely cast aside. Such trivial things were not worth worrying about.

"Well now that we know of your past, I believe it's only right to tell you of our situation. We are basically in a war that mirrors yours. We are up against an alien race who only have the intent of destroying anything and everything. They call themselves the Space Pirates. We plan to stop them at all costs, and their leaders. Samus has managed to eliminate quite a few of them, and now all that remains is to eliminate Ridley, their current leader. They have gone into hiding though, and we are short on resources. Samus is a dependable source, but it would be better to have another soldier in our ranks."

"We'll give you time to decide," Samus said, "when you feel confident in your answer, just talk to Castor Dane here, and we'll decide what to do from there." Saluting again, Chief left, walking away slowly. "So what do you think of him?" she asked Castor Dane,

"He's an interesting type, true to his words he grew up around war, I can see it in him. It's too early to judge him, though. I'll put him in training, with the other recruits. He'll have to work his way up, but I have a feeling that it won't be much of a challenge to him."

"And what if he says no?" Samus asked, it wasn't like Castor Dane to rely on gut feelings alone.

"I doubt that he will, it's just a feeling."


End file.
